Nakasendō
One of the five routes of the Edo period (in Japan) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Nakasendō (中山道, Central Mountain Route), also called the Kisokaidō (木曾街道),[1] was one of the five routes of the Edo period, and one of the two that connected Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to Kyoto in Japan. There were 69 stations (staging-posts) between Edo and Kyoto, crossing through Musashi, Kōzuke, Shinano, Mino and Ōmi provinces.[2] In addition to Tokyo and Kyoto, the Nakasendō runs through the modern-day prefectures of Saitama, Gunma, Nagano, Gifu and Shiga, with a total distance of about 534 km (332 mi).[3]
Unlike the coastal Tōkaidō, the Nakasendō traveled inland,[4] hence its name, which can be translated as "中 = central; 山 = mountain; 道 = route" (as opposed to the Tōkaidō, which roughly meant "eastern sea route"). Because it was such a well-developed road, many famous persons, including the haiku master Matsuo Bashō, traveled the road. In the late 1830s Hiroshige also walked the Nakasendo, contributing 46 designs to a series of 69 views of the Nakasendo, which was later completed by Keisai Eisen.[5]
Many people preferred traveling along the Nakasendō because it did not require travelers to ford any rivers.[3][6]
In Gunma Prefecture, the Nakasendō is featured on the 'na' card in Jomo Karuta.